I'm a born-and-bred Scot, real name's Harper. I love to write, read, make music, and go for long walks in the woods. I enjoy many different styles of writing, though young-adult, fantasy, and adventure novels account for many of my favourites. I'm also very interested in social issues and accepting people from all walks of life, and some of this shines through in my writing, though I detest books based around cardboard characters whose only purpose is to provide a soapbox for the authour's views -- my writing is highly character-based, with plot arising naturally through the decisions of the characters. 

   I am currently working on two novels; one a lengthy science-fiction fantasy thing, the other a cheerful little fantasy novel. I usually work on two projects at once, so that when I get frustrated with one, I have something else to switch over to. I plan on self-publishing, in order to avoid editorial censoring and to give me control over the cover and interior artwork (I'm an oil painter, and sometimes work in charcoal, and I do all of the illustrations for my work).

   To give a further idea of what I like to write, here's a short list of what I like to read:

   Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner

   The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner

   Hatching Magic, by Ann Downer

   Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson

   The Wish List, by Eoin Colfer

   The His Dark Materials Trilogy, by Philip Pullman

   The Arabian Nights

   The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien

   Tomorrow's Wizard, by Patricia MacLachlan

   The Princess Bride, by Simon Morgenstern

   Faded Coat of Blue, by Owen Parry

   The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom

   Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (and pretty much everything else by Terry Pratchett)

   Very Good, Jeeves! by P. G. Wodehouse

   The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

   I know that's kind of an eclectic list, but these are all some of my favourites, and each has contributed to my philosophy of writing. Anyway, I've gone on long enough . . . 

THE END